Horse come out in Hives

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BarneyTheChestnutOne

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Hi All,

My horse has come out in hives allover, sporadically but ongoing for about 6 weeks.
It coincided with when he had a full clip, so initially i thought it was a reaction to this, and he had a hot cloth and also a very mild medicated shampoo bath. This didn't seem to help, so next thought was perhaps it the straw bedding, so I've changed him over to aubiouse about 10 days ago.

Yesterday I arrived to him being covered allover worse than he's been before. Horse seems fine in himself, if a little itchy. He's had piriton to try and relieve symptoms.

I am thinking the next thing I need to look at is an allergy to the feed he is getting?

Currently fed (twice a day):

1/2 scoop Happy Hoof molasses free
1/2 scoop Baileys fibre plus nuggets
1 mug linseed
approx 400g dry Copra
Progressive earth pro laminae

The copra is the most recent addition approx 2ish months ago (as I felt he needed a bit more with there not being much in the grass atm) so I left that out of his feeds last night and typically he hasn't finished his dinner or breakfast this morning. Though he is a fussy eater anyway.

He gets ad lib hay and haylage (very dry, he doesn't eat much of this, approx 1kg) overnight, turnout on grass in the day, and a small bucket of dengie meadow grass overnight as well.

thanks in advance for any thoughts on this.
 
Hi there,
Are they itchy if you scratch the lumps? My boy had this and usually came out in the small lumps same time every year, his ones were not itchy at all however he did get some with yellow heads that you could burst. I found if I washed it and tried to treat it they would become more irritated. Where about are the lumps on your horse? Are they all over or clumps or them here there and everywhere.
 
lau_ said:
Hi there,
Are they itchy if you scratch the lumps? My boy had this and usually came out in the small lumps same time every year, his ones were not itchy at all however he did get some with yellow heads that you could burst. I found if I washed it and tried to treat it they would become more irritated. Where about are the lumps on your horse? Are they all over or clumps or them here there and everywhere.
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They are all over his body, mostly neck, belly/saddle area and over his bum. They don't have heads at all. I can try add a picture, but I'm a bit hopeless with that :-)
 
Fiona said:
In my experience (with our ID mare) the piriton should have cleared it up.. Did it not make any difference??

Fiona
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Piriton definitely helps and they go down over a few days, but I took him off it for 3 days when they had nearly gone, and he came out in hives again. I gave him some last night in his feed, and in his breakfast.
 
BarneyTheChestnutOne said:
Piriton definitely helps and they go down over a few days, but I took him off it for 3 days when they had nearly gone, and he came out in hives again. I gave him some last night in his feed, and in his breakfast.
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Did you give him a course of it??? When my mare flares up (16.2 IDx) we give her 20 tablets per day for about 5-7 days, and she has only needed steroids a couple of times in the past 4-5 years.

Fiona
 
Fiona said:
Did you give him a course of it??? When my mare flares up (16.2 IDx) we give her 20 tablets per day for about 5-7 days, and she has only needed steroids a couple of times in the past 4-5 years.

Fiona
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He had 8 4mg piriton twice daily for about 2 weeks, and a few times previously, when he's had a few small patches of hives, he's had the same but only for a few days until they had gone down. I'm just trying to work out what it is so I can eliminate it from his diet/day? If they don't go down with the removal of the copra from his diet I think I will speak to my vet as he may need something a bit stronger (like steroids) :-(
 
Has he changed to a new field?

I have a horse with an allergy to the sugars in specific types of grass. He spends May, June and July looking like the elephant man and is on 20-30 piriton a day during these months. Sporadically, throughout the year, it flares up (to a lesser extent) depending on which field I have him on. He's currently in one of the fields that I largely can't use during the summer as it affects him so badly, yet he has a much milder reaction at this time of year. His other field, a mere 200 metres from this one, he is generally much better in.
 
That's the same as what my boy had except they were a lot smaller and more in groups and some had heads to them. The odd one would be itchy but never unbearable. I gave him a steroid and that cleared them up, just be careful if your horse is prone to laminitis with the steroid. My boy still gets it now and again but I don't treat them and they seem to go away on their own a lot quicker.
 
scats said:
Has he changed to a new field?

I have a horse with an allergy to the sugars in specific types of grass. He spends May, June and July looking like the elephant man and is on 20-30 piriton a day during these months. Sporadically, throughout the year, it flares up (to a lesser extent) depending on which field I have him on. He's currently in one of the fields that I largely can't use during the summer as it affects him so badly, yet he has a much milder reaction at this time of year. His other field, a mere 200 metres from this one, he is generally much better in.
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He has been in the same field since August as the yard I am on don't rotate. He shares with 5 others an 8(ish) acre field. The hay and haylage I feed is made on the same farm.
Previous to this he lived out for a year whilst recovering from injury in a 15 acre field that was largely much poorer grass.
 
lau_ said:
That's the same as what my boy had except they were a lot smaller and more in groups and some had heads to them. The odd one would be itchy but never unbearable. I gave him a steroid and that cleared them up, just be careful if your horse is prone to laminitis with the steroid. My boy still gets it now and again but I don't treat them and they seem to go away on their own a lot quicker.
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Thanks for this, I will see how he goes and chat with my vet. *touch wood* have not had any laminitis issues before.
 
I once had an aged retired IDxTB she came in from the field one day and had a nasty insect bite, I washed it and applied Sudocrem, next thing I was on the phone for an emergency vet appointment, the lumps were appearing and spreading as I stood and watched, she was given a steroid jab and after that when I used Sudocrem on any of the others I only touched her with surgical or normal gloves on as she was that sensitive to the stuff. Vet said it was one of the most incredible spontaneous reactions he had ever witnessed
 
Cecile said:
I once had an aged retired IDxTB she came in from the field one day and had a nasty insect bite, I washed it and applied Sudocrem, next thing I was on the phone for an emergency vet appointment, the lumps were appearing and spreading as I stood and watched, she was given a steroid jab and after that when I used Sudocrem on any of the others I only touched her with surgical or normal gloves on as she was that sensitive to the stuff. Vet said it was one of the most incredible spontaneous reactions he had ever witnessed
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Sudocrem contains lanoline to which some horses are allergic, as mine is. I never use it now.

Op have you considered it may be dermatophilis? It often shows at this time of year. Hibiscrub bath is what my vet recomends- diluted of course..
 
lamlyn2012 said:
Sudocrem contains lanoline to which some horses are allergic, as mine is. I never use it now.

Op have you considered it may be dermatophilis? It often shows at this time of year. Hibiscrub bath is what my vet recomends- diluted of course..
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I will keep this in mind, thank you. The only thing making me think it's not this is that the lumps are just lumps, no broken skin at all.
 
lau_ said:
Great news, Good luck.
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Thank you. I'm going to keep him on piriton for and keep the copra out of his diet and see what results I get. The only other thing I could think of is a reaction to alfalfa?
If they are still persisting I will see what my vet thinks as they are visiting the yard on Wednesday next week anyway.
 
Quick update - The hives have gone! He has been off piriton for 3 weeks and the hives have stayed away! Kept the Copra out of his feed and the only other change has been that I have made an effort to rug him less, so I'm not entirely sure which worked.
The only issue I am now getting is that he is not eating his feeds without the Copra, he picks out the nuggets and leaves the rest, including his expensive supplement :-( xx
 
Glad to hear the hives have gone. Could you try soaking his nuggets into a mash and mixing the supplement and rest of the feed with it, so he can't pick the nuggets out?
 
TGM said:
Glad to hear the hives have gone. Could you try soaking his nuggets into a mash and mixing the supplement and rest of the feed with it, so he can't pick the nuggets out?
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This is a good idea, I will try this, thank you.
If not, then I may have to look for an alternative supplement in a pellet form that he might eat.
 
Another update - Soaking the nuggets didn't go down very well, and the whole feed was still in his corner manger the next morning :-/ tried again the next evening but stubborn horse still saying no!

So, I can either try changing the chaff, (as he will eat linseed straight out of your hand so its not that he's being fussy with) or I can try a different balancer?
 
Give him a bath that can sometimes help, this horse was a fly bite and you can seen cooling him down reduced the hives

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1865786_orig_zpsq0siyat5.jpg


HIVES



Horses can have a reaction to a bite or sting, and become very itchy, the more they rub the more they break down the malets Cells which make the situation worst and spreads all of the body. Cold hosing can ease the itching and swelling and reduce the blood rushing to the area. You must get a vet out to asses the situation , where he will most likely give a steroid injection.


Urticaria is seen as localized, raised bumps on the skin. These can vary in number, severity, and frequency of occurrence. Inflammation induced by allergens causes small veins to dilate and increase capillary permeability in the skin. "Fluid" leaks into surrounding tissues to form wheals or plaques of edema (fluid swelling). These first appear as small, firm lumps, which might coalesce into a large plaque or line of bumps. In a case of noncomplicated hives, overlying skin appears normal with no hair loss and usually no itching.

At all times a horse's body is under siege from the abundance of microorganisms present everywhere. A healthy immune system keeps these minute organisms at bay as inflammatory cells wage invisible battles to repel foreign proteins (antigens) attempting to invade the body. Normally, the immune system holds its line of defense without the horse even knowing that its immune system is at work.

When microbes invade and colonize, a horse shows clinical signs of disease. But occasionally, an immune response overreacts to a noninfectious cause. Such a hypersensitivity response is referred to as an allergy; it can range from a serious, life-threatening systemic reaction (anaphylaxis) to a mild, but disagreeable, skin reaction such as hives or itching.

Hives are a clinical sign rather than a specific disease. Also referred to as urticaria, hives tend to develop about the neck and shoulders, along the thorax, and on the buttocks. Urtica is Latin for "stinging nettle" and if you've ever walked through a copse of stinging nettles, besides immediate discomfort you'll appreciate just how quickly bumps form on your skin. Horse owners often refer to these bumps as feed bumps, protein bumps, or heat bumps, since these terms describe some causes of hives. Usually, an allergic reaction remains localized to the skin, but if clinical signs persist or are not arrested early on, there might be a systemic response as the internal workings of a horse's body wage war on the offending allergen.

What is an Allergy?
Constant surveillance by a horse's immune system helps it recognize foreign proteins as a threat. In response, the immune system manufactures antibody proteins directed toward specific antigenic targets. Patrick Hensel, DrMedVet, Dipl. ACVD, is a board-certified specialist in dermatology at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. He explains, "An allergic reaction usually is not present with first exposure to an allergenic protein. Clinical signs start to appear once the skin becomes sensitized and re-exposed to an offending allergen."

Because hypersensitivity reactions take weeks to months or even years to develop, a sudden onset of hives is not necessarily a result of a recent change; this makes it difficult to pin down the actual source of the problem.

"An allergic reaction usually is not present with first exposure to an allergenic protein. Clinical signs start to appear once the skin becomes sensitized and re-exposed to an offending allergen." --Patrick Hensel, DrMedVet, Dipl. ACVD Hensel notes, "Many causes of urticaria have been identified, including medications such as antibiotics, antiparasitic drugs, hormones, vaccines, foods like plants, hay, and supplements, or are due to hypersensitivities like an adverse food reaction, contact allergy, or genetically linked atopy (an allergic reaction with strong family tendencies). Occasionally urticaria develops from bacterial, fungal, or parasitic infections, or from stinging insects."

Allergen-specific antibodies (immunoglobulin E, or IgE), preprogrammed on first exposure, trigger a Type I hypersensitivity reaction the next time they encounter that antigen. The unique structure of IgE antibodies allows them to bind to the surface of mast cells (resident cells of connective tissue) and basophils (specialized white blood cells) and sensitize them. When sensitized mast cells again contact the allergen, they release biochemical substances such as prostaglandins and histamines, which elicit a cascade of inflammatory events. Once this chain reaction is under way, localized inflammation begins within minutes of the chemical summons.

Hives can develop on the skin in as few as 15 minutes or up to 24 hours following exposure to a foreign protein; luckily, they resolve as quickly.

What are Hives?
Urticaria is seen as localized, raised bumps on the skin. These can vary in number, severity, and frequency of occurrence.

Inflammation induced by allergens causes small veins to dilate and increase capillary permeability in the skin. "Fluid" leaks into surrounding tissues to form wheals or plaques of edema (fluid swelling). These first appear as small, firm lumps, which might coalesce into a large plaque or line of bumps. In a case of noncomplicated hives, overlying skin appears normal with no hair loss and usually no itching.

William Miller, VMD, Dipl. ACVD, chief of dermatology at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and board-certified in dermatology, says other types of horse bumps are composed of cells rather than "fluid" so you can usually tell the difference by their feel. Hives are easily compressed, leaving behind a fingertip imprint of pitting edema, whereas other nodular lesions have cellular infiltration, such as scar tissue or a tumor, and they are firm and noncompressible.

Miller notes that the size of a wheal (hive) is influenced by various things, but, he stresses, "In the broadest sense, the bigger the hive, the more reactive the horse. A typical hive takes between 15 and 30 minutes to reach its maximum size. Once the trigger event is gone, the hive usually only lasts for an hour or so."

In certain situations, though, the hive process can persist. Miller clarifies, "If a horse eats something he is allergic to, hives can last for days. However, an individual hive bump does not last that long. As one hive disappears, a new one appears, making an owner believe that the hives are persisting. The only way to follow a specific hive bump is to circle an individual lesion, then check it hourly."

Hensel notes, "Pollens, foods, and drugs are the most likely 'systemic' causes of hives, which is a common clinical sign in horses with allergies. However, nonallergic factors such as pressure, sunlight, heat, cold, exercise, psychological stress, genetic abnormalities, and adverse reactions to drugs or chemicals need to be kept in mind as potential causes of urticaria."

Any of these factors can intensify an allergic response.

Both practitioners report that insects are not usually a direct cause of hives, unless a horse is allergic to that particular insect. Hensel elaborates: "Papular urticaria are small-diameter (3-6 mm) reddened bumps with the appearance of hives. More typically, insect bite hypersensitivities cause other clinical signs such as seasonal itch. Associated intense itching causes these horses to continually traumatize themselves with scratching, rubbing, and biting. This creates hair loss, crusting lesions, and skin trauma, particularly along the mane, base of the tail, lower thorax, and abdomen."

An allergic response of hives is not usually associated with itching or pain, but in some cases itching is observed.

One other type of allergic manifestation is a disease called atopy, which tends to be a multifactorial problem that includes a genetic predisposition. Anecdotally, Arabians or Thoroughbreds have been reported to be at higher risk. Typically, the problem shows up by age 4, or it can appear in a mature horse when he is moved to a sensitizing environment.

Atopy describes a skin or respiratory allergic response to sensitizing antibodies in the environment. These are often seasonal allergens like pollens, molds, grasses, weeds, trees, insects, or dust mites, and they have been attributable to materials such as blankets or saddle pads. Miller and Hensel stress that atopic horses can be itchy, have hives, or both, making it difficult to identify the underlying cause.

What to Do for Acute Hives
Call your veterinarian right away in the case of an acute allergic response. Miller says that most horses with hives could care less, but "some horses itch, and for those individuals, cool water soaks might help relieve your horse's discomfort," he says. "But in general, I wouldn't recommend doing anything. You want your veterinarian to see your horse as is and not as modified by drugs or topical medications."

Hensel reports, "Hives rarely affect the general health of the horse and usually disappear within one to two days. In such cases, treatment is not necessary. In more severe cases, treatment may be indicated with epinephrine and corticosteroids." Although antihistamines don�t seem to work very well for acute hives, an antihistamine like hydroxyzine might limit the allergic response.

Before implementing any treatment during an attack, your vet will attempt to differentiate an allergic response from infections such as skin parasites or bacterial/fungal (ringworm) infections.
 
Thanks TYSSANDI that's a very interesting read. I will definitely give him a bath this week, a day when my sister is off work too, as he doesn't really like being bathed! A few small hives have appeared again yesterday, but I think I had let him get too warm, and as he's not been eating his feed apart from the Fibre Plus nuggets, I think I have possibly come to the conclusion it cannot be feed related. Hopefully a bath will help, and I have the vet up Thursday for my other horses vaccinations so if they are still there I will show her and see what she thinks.
 
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